Wucaii

Chapter Twenty-Two

Dek traced his fingertip over her eyebrow. His touch felt like needles on her flesh. She desperately wanted to smack his hand away, but she didn't have the strength. He tucked his hand under his chin and stared at her. His gaze sent chills up her spine.

"You have what you want." Her throat was dry; her voice came out as a croak. "Get it over with and kill me."

Dek clicked his tongue. "Well, it seems a bit uncharitable to dispatch you in a field without ceremony. After all, you are the savior of the world." He said the last words as if they burned his mouth. "I know!" His face lit up. "I can take you back to the church. It will be the perfect place for a sacrifice."

Aelana didn't get the chance to respond. Light surrounded both of them, growing in intensity until she was forced to close her eyes. When they reopened, she lay on the floor in front of the couch in Bayn's apartment. Dek stood next to her, smoothing the wrinkles out of his robe. She lifted her head as high as she could. Kalen and Bayn were still lying on the floor, but Kalen slid his hands under his chest to push himself up. Bayn groaned, his head moving from side to side. Aelana strained to straighten out her legs. Her muscles tried to refuse, but she eventually accomplished her task.

"Well, this will never do," Dek complained. "I need this to happen tonight."

He waved his hand toward the sink and water balled in the air. He sent the liquid crashing into Bayn, who inhaled a sharp breath and sat upright. He threw another one at Kalen, who lifted his head and stared at Dek, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Aelana, you'll require a little more assistance." He sent out a tendril of light that wrapped around her torso and pulled her upright.

Her body ached from the movement. She didn't have enough strength to hold her head up, so it fell forward.

"Aelana!" Kalen ran forward and wrapped an arm around her waist.

With a sigh, Dek retracted the light, and her body fell into Kalen's arms. The pair collapsed onto the couch. Kalen brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and smoothed her hair. His touch was warm, soothing.

"You all right?" he asked quietly.

"I've been better," she whispered.

He placed his hand over her chest where the eye used to be. His eyes moistened; sadness covered his face. Her hand covered his.

"It's all right," she said. "It's not the end."

Kalen bent down and kissed her gently on the mouth. The smell of lemons entered her nostrils. It pushed out the remnants of Dek's rank stench. She wanted to snuggle into his body, meld into his flesh, feel safe in his arms and disappear from the hate and fear Dek instilled in her. Dek cleared his throat in irritation.

"There isn't a lot of time before the world is destroyed, and I'd like to kill Aelana before then."

Bayn made it to his feet with the help of the table. "Don't do this, Dek," he wheezed. "You'll unbalance the universe."

Dek held his hands out to his sides. "What do I care if the universe is out of whack? Once I leave here, I'm going to sway the universe to my rule."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Kalen asked.

Dek shot a bolt of lightning from his fingertip. It sliced across Kalen's cheek, drawing a thin stream of blood that was quickly cauterized. Kalen's hand shot up to his face.

"I have my ways." Dek spoke between gritted teeth. "Now, let's move."

"What are you going to do?" Bayn wondered. "What point are you trying to prove?"